City Worker Loses Job Over Pot.

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Want a law passed that voters will find acceptable it better be worded just right to insure passage.

The lobbyist stepped up and here’s what voters were told. People suffering from Cancer found that marijuana was a tremendous pain/stress reliever.

Our American soldiers coming home suffering from PTSD (Post-traumatic stress disorder) and marijuana helped relieve the overwhelming stress/tension they felt.

So what were the magical words used to legalize marijuana? Medical, Medical, Medical marijuana.

Florida voters approved a measure legalizing medical marijuana in 2016. The word Medical was enough to get their foot in the door and the law on the books.

Soon after the voters approved Medical marijuana the City of WPB Mayor & Commissioners met and approved opening a marijuana shop on Clematis St. which of course was recommended by staff and a new business was formed. Double click pic. to enlarge.

 

“US cannabis industry’s economic impact could hit $130 billion by 2024.” Read the entire story below.

https://mjbizdaily.com/chart-us-cannabis-industrys-economic-impact-could-hit-130-billion-by-2024/

The lobbyist did a great job, and look how we have grown in a few years. It really is all about the money.

 

 

Below are excerpts from the PB Post written by Tony Doris and the entire story can be read below. My comments in Italic.

“West Palm employee learns the hard way: You can still get fired for smoking pot even if you have a medical marijuana card”

WEST PALM BEACH — “Shortly after noon on Feb. 4, Jason McCarty went to his car in the city hall garage.

The city’s deputy chief of Information Technology wanted to buy his co-workers lunch — it was a birthday, for one of them — but he’d left his wallet in his car, so he took the elevator up to retrieve it while they stood downstairs.

When he went to take the elevator back down, two other city employees passed by, walking out.
He seemed “anxious and avoidant,” one thought. As the two Risk Management staffers continued into the parking area, they caught a whiff of pot near McCarty’s car.

That impromptu smell test led Safety Officer Tim Scott and Risk Analyst Alexis Galvan to report McCarty to city management without delay.

And no, he didn’t grab a quick hit in the garage, he insisted. As he divulged before taking the urine test, he smoked at home the night before for anxiety and insomnia, rather than take a sedative that would leave him groggy the next day. His elderly mother is extremely ill and he has been unable to sleep, said his attorney, Russell Cormican Jr.

“The next day McCarty, a 50-year-old father of two, a five-year, $121,000 employee without a ding in his record, was banished from city hall. His days of keeping city computers running come hurricane or COVID were over.” In my opinion James found a way to cut staff from the budget without laying off people. Remember the uproar when it was suggested layoffs were needed to balance the city budget?

“A city spokesperson said West Palm Beach has caught five employees violating its substance abuse policy since 2019. All five were fired.” The five fired also helped balance the budget and was the first year of James term as Mayor.

“City updated its marijuana workplace policy in January”

Medical marijuana isn’t illegal under Florida law. But as of Jan. 28, 2019, the city updated the policy, “given the conflicting information in the public sphere about the use of marijuana in the workplace”

“The use of marijuana by city employees, including medical marijuana, with or without a prescription, is prohibited” and a prescription is not accepted as a valid explanation for an employee’s positive drug test result, the paragraph states.”

“Another potential defense for a lawsuit: In Cormican’s view the policy violates Florida civil rights law because McCarty didn’t violate state law. Also troubling, he said, is that the city policy seems to contradict itself, and at the least is obtuse rather than transparent, indicating one thing higher up in the policy and burying the update at the bottom.”

“Jason McCarty got plenty of support from his co-workers
Five co-workers, including those who waited below while he ran up to his car, submitted letters of support for his personnel file.”

If you have time to read the story, letters written by Mr. McCarty’s co-workers can be read in the story, and I fear for their jobs as in my opinion the city can be extremely vindictive. 

“Medical marijuana use has been legal in Florida since 2017 for specified conditions, including cancer, epilepsy, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Crohn’s Disease, Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis, chronic nonmalignant pain, post-traumatic stress disorder and comparable conditions.

In 2019 the Florida legislature repealed its ban on smokable medical marijuana.”

That was all it took. Suspicion.
A heavy heart, a puff of marijuana and Jason McCarty lost his job in a wisp of smoke.”

The city receives federal money and are required to follow Federal Government rules and the fed’s are poised to decriminalize marijuana, so what the city has done to Jason McCarty does not pass my smell test. I would love to see all WPB elected officials receive random drug testing.

Legalizing marijuana will put drug dealers out of business. Right? Wrong! Look for a spike in cocaine and heroin laced with fentanyl coming to a neighborhood near you.

Below is the PB Post story.
https://www.palmbeachpost.com/story/news/local/westpb/2021/03/25/medical-marijuana-user-fired-west-palm-beach-city-hall-job/4754584001/

Along with the city’s water bill a flyer was enclosed with a suggestion “Plant a Tree for you and me” The city is giving free trees to residents, but there not really free. Don’t forget your permit.

“Application fee: Single family residence– $25.00
Multi‐family residential and /or non‐residential ‐ $50.00
IMPORTANT: The application fees indicated above provide for the removal/relocation of one (1) tree–an additional fee of $5.00 (per tree)will be charged for each additional tree proposed to be removed/relocated.”

Take one city tree and plant it in your yard without a permit and the fine will be 4 times the cost of the permit or $100.00. Love the play on words. Went from Permit to Application
The end